My life in Ethiopia

I've been both excited and hesitant about writing this page because the thought of trying to condense even the highlights of my two years in Ethiopia into one little page is a bit overwhelming.  There's so much to pull from and so many different angles from which to tell it.  Some details I'll have to leave out for security questions, but if you'd like to talk to me about specifics, just email me.  I'm happy to share more privately. :)

My Hubby and I arrived in Addis several years ago.  We took up residence in one of the few apartment complexes in the city and began the daunting task of learning Amharic.  I'll be honest. It was really-really hard!  Not only was the alphabet intimidating and the grammar structure unique, but we were limited in the number of resources available to teach us.  Some teammates of ours helped us find private language tutors.  Little did we know that these 'tutors' would become some of our closest friends while we were there. 

Here is a picture of my tutor and sweet friend, Nardos.  We would see each other for a couple of hours every day and pour over the fidel with macchiatos or cokes.  She helped me do everything-grocery shop, get our mail, pay bills, and learn how to ride 'mini-buses.'  A lot of my study time was hands-on learning, spending time with her family or touring the local art museums provided plenty of Amharic practice.   Much of my success in Ethiopia (and now in this new business) is a result of her persistent guidance.  Not only is Nardos a good teacher and friend, but she is also one of the few female licenced tour guides in the country.  Needless to say, I learned a lot about culture and history from her. :)

About half way through our first year my husband and I took on some responsibilities with our team's Educational Center.  We taught a couple of ESL classes and relationally engaged students and young professionals.  It was a great way to get to meet some friends and get involved in the lives of those around us.  I'm pictured here with some of the sweet girls who staffed the school. 

                                                             About a year into our term, we felt like God was asking us to do something different. So we toured our teams work throughout the country and felt clear direction to take on a new task in a small village we called B-town, a couple of hours south of Addis.  It was really hard to leave the friends we had invested in for so long, but we felt confident that this was the direction we needed to go.

Living in the countryside was a completely different experience than living in the capital.  We were one of two American families living there and had one of the few cars in the city. Transportation there mainly consisted of horse pulled carts, and many families did not have electricity and shared water facilities.  We rented a little turquoise mud house that had three rooms, one of which was transformed in to a kitchen. (and yes, we were fortunate enough to have water and electricity-at least most of the time. ; ) ) Out back we had three more rooms, one of which was a bedroom that was converted into our bathroom. 

Our task in B-town was quite different.  We partnered with local churches and completed a CBS project with them.  The experience was very challenging, but rewarding as well.  It was during this project we enlisted the help of one of the local families to assist us in translation of the stories.  This sweet family was such a blessing to us.  Here they are with their sweet daughter Barci.  (Who, by the way, has down syndrome and is in need of a heart surgery that is currently unavailable in Ethiopia. If you know of any physician who'd be willing to help this precious family, please email me.)

Words can't express how this experience changed us for the better.  I'm so thankful for the way that God used Ethiopia and it's beautiful people to deepen our lives and grow our faith.  Thanks for reading and taking a glance at that chapter of my life. : ) 

Below are just a few more shots (I couldn't help myself!) from our time there. Enjoy!

My Hubby and I near the Merkato in Addis.

Here we are sitting with some friends on their wedding day. They dress up like kings and queens (Literally!).

A view of a countryside market.

Life overseas can be hard and full of challenges, but there are plenty of humors things too-like this photo, for example.   A shell gas station selling wedding dresses. The perfect comic relief!

Here's pic of me attempting to make injera. There is definately a technique to this that I did not catch on to-my friends got a good laugh out of this.